Apparatus for detecting and correcting departures from standard in the thickness or diameter of longitudinally travelling textile slivers



June 23, 1959 RAPER 2,891,287

APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND CORRECTING DEPARTURE-S FROM STANDARD IN THE THICKNESS OR DIAMETER OF LONGITUDINALLY TRAVELLING TEXTILE SLIVERS Filed Oct. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A tlorneye June 23, 1959 G. F. RAPER 2,891,287

APPARATUS FOR'DETECTING AND CORRECTING DEPARTURES FROM STANDARD IN THE. THICKNESS OR DIAMETER OF 7 LONGITUDINALLY TRAVELLING TEXTILE SLIVERS Filed Oct. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A tto rn 'eys 2,891,287 Patented June 23, 1 959 United States Patent "()fifice AiaPARATUsroRnE'rec'nNe AND CORRECTING DEPARTURES FROM STANDARD INTHE THICK- NESS on DIAMETER OF LONGITUDINALLY TRAVELLING TEXTHLE SLIVERS we a m -.fMans-m. ear "Rir n En land, assignos' of (manner- T. M. M. (Research) Limited, Lancashire, England Application October 8, 19 5 4, SerialNo. 461,222

12 Claims. (Cl. 19- 70 The invention has reference to apparatusior detecting an bo'r'rect'iiig irregularities of thickhessofa tie xtile sliver, shch apparatus being of the lgiiid' in which a sliver-passes through a drafting unit controlled by the "mechanical niove'mentsbf a relaywhiehi responsive to irregularities sensed'hy a detector located in advance of, 0"; which is part of, the drafting unit, and in which the relay coinprises a tr-ain of axially movable parallel "rods, slidably manned ahoiit the periphery or *ac'arrier or rod'wlieel whiehis rotatedsb that the rddsfrnove aloii'ga path 'at right angles to theii dies, and "which are fictiiifd By a rod-setting element so that they project beyond a datlim flidsi'tien hy ah airro'mifiivh'idi is propeaienarm the ineohs thickfiess of 'tlre sliverbywhiehthe detector LIS- liilfiilfftid, Sb as To displace 0 'a giflt'ei Oiifis extent a transmitting element which bears against the projeeting {:iaft's 6f the rods, the said displacements of the transmitter being employed to controlpby'means of a variables'peed gear, the degree of draft introduced into said "sliver by the drafting unit. "Examples of *apparatus of this "kind are described "in US. "Pateht No. 1,132,316, "dated March 16, 19-15; U.-S. Patent No. "2,681,475, 1 dated June 22, 19'54;British Patents Nos. -;710,957-and 711 501, andin "application Serial No. 303 385, now Patent -N0. 2;746,093, dated May 22, 1956. i

In the examples mentioned of apparatus of this kind, the rod-setting-element referred-to takes the form of two curved plates disposed on either side of the -=rod wheel and connected together on -to a-rod-setting arm -has to-and-fro movement and whichmovementis passed onto the rods by the curved plates so that therods are moved in andout, parallel --to the rod Wheel a iis. 50 that the rods mayheset-projectingomthe rod wheel by the curved plates, these plates at their edge wherethe rods leave-t-hem in the circumferential travel are exactly rod length apart and it will be seen that the movement j-of the :curyed :plates-andhence of the rod-setting arm is limited by theplates coming in contact with the rod wheel, asthe rods are moved to their full extent enem or-the other. In the further examples mentionedthe rOd Setting arm is pivoted attheend-remote fromthe rod-Wheel fand'it is-connected to and actuated byalink-rod whichlink at its oiherend is connectedto thearin oiiwhic'h 'thefloati'rig measuring roll'er, i.e. the net-moms mounted. The lengths of 'the'vafionsarins or levers a arrangedso that the mtivemenrs or the fldatiiignie'aSdrm" "rdllr are mag- "I'ufied andthe rods are "moved in theji'od wheel *liytlie eiii'i ed settingnlates a distance m'anytimes 'greaterthan the original movement of the detector "rolljer It is known, for example, from U.S. latent No. 1,132,316 hereinhefore referredt'o to make *thellifik bet'ween the detector armand the "rod-"settingarm-adjustable asto length, "so that whenthefioating measur ng rbller "average position is known for f'tlie average thickness "of slivers flashing 'thr'ol'igh, 'the' red sett' may he 1n "adjhsted to "its 'centi'al position so as to z give space -for an eqnal' rise or' fall in-thickiiess either side and- 'hencein rod movement.

entering slivers.

"Withoiit damaging the "setting element.

-pr-ovision between the ment-of a connection Etion .is illustrated It has been found by the present inventor that when this adjustment is performed it is, for optimum sliver thicknesscorrection, also necessary to alter the magnification between the detector rollers-and the f nal variable speedgear so as to maintain the correct thickness to speed ratio, greater magnification being required for thinner slivers and less magnification for thicker slivers. This change of magnification isnot provided'for'in 'apparatus piiblicly known-prior to the present invention, thus limiting any machine t'ofone average thickness of V The usefulness of the niachineis this limited. "Alternatively, ifthe link is lengthened or shortjened to aceommodate a dilfe'rentsliver thickness then tr'ue correction of thickness b the apparatus cannot "he claimed;

The presentinventio'n has, as one of its 'fe'attire'sythe provision of means by which, when the rods arecentralised for a new average sliver thickhessQtlie correct "appropriate magnification is automatically'set at the same time.

A further object of'thisinve'ntion is to allow"excessive thickness of 'sliverto pass through the measuringroller machine.

According to a broad feature of the 'present ifivention there is 'p'rovided, in ar'ipara'tiis df th'e kincfreferred to a rod-setting element which is adapted to he adjiis'ted in ielati'onto average sliver thickness such adjustment also causin r that average sliver thickness, "substantially l i'ceordih to another "featnre of the inverition there is, in apparatusof the kind refe'rre'd to, the provis'ion hetween "the detecto'rand the rod-"setting element of' a link comprising two Fpivoted arms, one *armbeing iconnect'ed 'tothedetector and the otherarm being-connected to "the "rodset'tin'gelemeiit, there being a face Ion-one calm and "a contactelement on the other arm, the two heing 'normally held in contact,anrl'th'e contact' 'elementon lthe o'ne aim being capable of being adjfisted 'to-sgiveanother setting of theotherarmand, -by that-adjustmenh'is caused to move along the -said face -so as lto lengthen or-shorten the distance 'of the-point or area -of contact"fromeither oi'both-ofthepivots of-t-he'detector arm-and/ or-.the rodsetting-a m, and so alterthe magnification by the correct, calculated or desired amount.

In apparatusaccording to the invention "there may be detector and the rod-setting elewhich will open when the rodsetting element reaches itslimit rofimovement in order thatthe detector may continue freely :to move if caused todo so byexcessive sliverthicknss.

One form of agparatus in accordance with the inven- V diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings-in which 1 Fig. '1-is aside elevation of an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 1A is a side elevation of a transmissionandadjustable operating means used 'in connection' therewith.

"Fig. 2 is adetail endelevation of the rod -vvheel form- "ingjpart "of the -fransinission and adjustable 'ofierating means.

.ried on a two-armed-lever 4.,pivoted at.6, and loaded-By spring or weight the lower extgreniity lof the long arm of lever 4, is formed a slot 5 wliichlie'safa determined angle to the line 20a passing through the centres of pivot 6 and pivot 7 which is the pivot of the rod-setting arm 8. This arm has an extension 9 carrying a straight surface 10 lying coincident with or at a determined angle to the line 20a. In the slot is a slidable stud 11 carrying a small wheel 12 which rests against straight surface 10. A screw 13 may be provided to position the stud 11 in the slot 5. A weight 18 is shown attached to arm 8 extending on the opposite side of pivot 7 from arm 9.

The upward extension of arm 8 carries the transmission and adjustable operating means shown in Fig. 1A which comprises the rod-setting plate 14 whose edges 14a and 14b encompass the rods 15 slidably mounted in the flanges 16a and 16b of the rod wheel 17.

A transmitter j movable in a vertical plane and having a suitably inclined or curved under surface j engages the right hand end of the rods 15. As will be understood, the further the rods 15 project under the surface j the. greater'will be the distance through which the transmitter is moved in a vertical plane, and vice versa, as the rod wheel 17 is rotated. The vertical movements of the transmitter are arranged to be transmitted, if desirable, through a suitable form of construction of relay k, to a variable speed gear indicated at m, and capable of controlling the relative speeds of rotation of two pairs of driven rollers n, n and p, p between which a drafting action is exerted on the sliver.

The action of the apparatus described in Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows:

Variations in the thickness of the sliver or slivers 3 as it passes between rollers 1 and 2, cause roller 2 which is loaded on to the sliver by weight 19, to move up and down thereby giving motion to wheel 12 as shown by arrows, 20, 22. The action of weight 18 is to overcome the sliding friction of rods 15 in flanges 16a and 16b, and so keep surface in contact with wheel 12. Arms 9 and 8 thereby follow the movement of wheel 12 as does the rod-setting plate 14. Thus the movements of roller 2 position the rods in the flanges 16a and 16b as the rods leave the plates 14 due to the rotation of the rod wheel 17 as shown by arrow in Fig. 2.

Let the setting of stud 11 in slot 5 be such that thickness variations in sliver 3 cause the rods to be set in such a way that their mean position corresponds approximately with their central position; that is in such a way that the rod-setting plate edges 14a and 14b approach equally to flanges 16a and 16b at the maximum and minimum sliver thicknesses encountered.

It now it is desired to process a sliver or slivers of a different mean thickness it can be seen that the danger will arise of an edge 14a or 14b coming up against a flange 16a or 16b and rendering the rod-setting mechanism inactive. If, for example a sliver of a less mean thickness is processed, the average position of the setting plate 14 will lie to the left, as seen in Fig. 1, of the centre line of the rod wheel 17, and thin places in the sliver 3 might cause edge 14b to come to rest against flange 16b. The invention. provides .for this eventuality in that by moving stud 11 down the slot 5 the arms 9 and 8 will rotate slightly clockwise as seen in Fig. 1, thereby centralizing the rods for this newreduced'mean sliver thickness. As this is done, the point of-contact 9a moves downthe surface 10, thereby increasing in a predetermined manner the magnification of the lever system transmitting movements of roller 2 to the rods 15. The angle of the slot 5 is such that at all times this magnification is correct for the particular mean sliver thickness which sets the rods '15 centrally. Thus, for example, a 10% change in sliver thickness of a thin sliver can be made to produce the same. rod movement as a 10% change in sliver thickness ofatbick sliver. p V It will furthermore be seen that if an excessively thick 'place thesliver passes betweenrollers 1 and 2, the

4 rod-setting plate will rest harmlessly against flkange 16a whilst wheel 12 lifts clear away from surface 10.

It will be appreciated that the positions of the rods 15 in the rod wheel 17 control the drafting of the sliver by the mechanism comprising the transmitter j, relay k, variable speed gear m and the rollers n, n and p, p, but such mechanism may alternatively consist of or comprise the mechanism described and shown in British Patents Nos. 710,957 and 711,501 and U. S. application Serial No. 303,385, now Patent No. 2,746,093 aforesaid.

If required the wheel 12 may be replaced by a point of contact formed as an extension of the stud 11 as shown in Fig. 3.

A further variation is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the positions of the straight surface 10 and the wheel or point 12 are reversed.

Fig. 5 illustrates a further variation wherein the stud and wheel and the slot may be replaced by a-suitably shaped cam 23 whose rotation produces the same result.

Fig. 6 shows the surface 10 as curved, if required to compensate for the radial movement of the levers and so that a determined relationship may be obtained between movement of roller 2, and the resulting movement of rods 15.

Fig. 7 shows how the slot 5 may be slightly curved, if required, so that a determined relationship may be obtained between movement of the point of contact 9a away from surface 10 and movement of 9a along surface 10.

Fig. 8 shows how the slot 5 may be replaced by a series of holes 25 into which the stud 11 may be pluggedto give a series of separate contact'positions to achieve the same result.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for automatically adjusting an adjustable operating means of a machine in accordance with variations in the thickness of the material to be acted on by the operating means, comprising in combination, roller meansfor measuring thethickness of the material acted on, means for recording the thickness variations in the material to be acted on by the operating means, said recording means comprising a rotatably mounted driven wheel and a plurality of substantially identical rods slidably mountedon said driven wheel along the peripheral portion thereof for linear movement substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said driven wheel, link means for shifting said rods on said wheel in correspondence to variations in the thickness of the material acted on, said link means comprising two arms, means for urging said arms towards eachother, a surface formed on one of said arms and a contact element carried by the other ofsaid arms, said other arm having means thereonon which .said contact element is mounted for adjustment in apath inclined relatively to said surface whereby said contact element can be adjusted to vary the position of engagementwith said arms and thereby determine the relative disposition and efiective lengths of said arms, one of said arms being connected to said roller means measuring thickness of the material acted on, and the other of said arms being connected to means acting directly on said rods of said recording means, and transmission means engaging said recording means and the adjustable operating means 'for adjusting the latter in response to the thickness variations recorded by said recording means.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said contact element is in separable engagement with said surface.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which said surface-is formed on the arm connected to said roller means and saidcontact element is mounted on the arm connected to said means acting directly on said rods.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said con! tact element comprises a rollermounted for adjustment 5 on means defining a path inclined relative to said surface at a predetermined angle on a portion of said arm which is connected to the means acting directly on said rods.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which said roller is mounted for slidable adjustment in a slot formed in said portion of said am.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said surface is formed on the arm connected to the means acting directly on said rods, and said contact element is mounted on the arm connected to said roller means.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which said contact element comprises a roller mounted for adjustment on means defining a path inclined relative to said surface at a predetermined angle on a portion of said arm which is connected to said roller means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which said roller is mounted for slidable adjustment in a slot formed in said portion of said arm.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which a series of holes is formed in said said roller.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said contact element is mounted for slidable adjustment in a slot formed in one of said arms.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 in. which said slot is curved so as to approach nearest to said other arm midway of its length.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in. which a series of holes on a center line which is inclined. relative to one of said arms is formed in the other of said arms to receive said contact element.

portion of said arm to receive References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,132,316 Eves Mar. 16, 1915 2,681,475 Raper June 22, 1954 2,746,093 Raper May 22, 1956 

